The 8 Best Sympathy Gifts

Hung in a window, the Memorialight Sympathy Crystal, available on Etsy, stipples rainbow-colored light along ceilings, floors, and walls, providing a reminder of life’s beauty in the face of loss. The included 18-inch chain is easy to mount, and the package arrives in a luxe box with the option to include a personalized note. It’s a simple and subtle token, and one that’s especially meaningful for those looking to move forward in remembrance.

Sympathy flowers are never a bad idea. We recommend using a trusted local florist. But if you don't know one near your loved one, UrbanStems, our top pick for online flower delivery, has a number of thoughtful options. When we tested the service, we found that ordering was easy, thanks to their modern and easily navigable site, and the arrangements were contemporary and actually looked like their online photos. Just be wary of ordering during inclement weather (such as extreme heat or cold) as that often affects the flowers' health and the delivery timing.

Trees clean the air and water, absorb harmful carbon dioxide, produce oxygen, and provide critical habitat for wildlife. For a small fee, A Living Tribute will plant a tree or a small grove of five seedlings in an impacted national or state forest; gift recipients get a personalized card honoring their loved one. Every 1,000 trees planted provides 4 acres of life-giving wild habitat. A complete list of recent projects is available for review on A Living Tribute’s website, and though you can’t pinpoint a sapling’s exact location, you can opt for a specific region or state.

Grief can make a person lose their appetite. But according to the majority of Jewish grandmothers, nothing cures like a good meal. Though food can’t bring anyone back or relieve all sadness, it is undeniably comforting, and sending Katz’s Birthday Box, one of our favorite gift baskets, to a friend in mourning is an act of love almost as good as making a meal yourself. Despite the celebratory name of the offering—which isn’t inscribed anywhere on the package—this selection of goods from the classic New York deli makes an apt bereavement gift. Each box contains a pound each of pastrami, corned beef, and Swiss cheese, plus a half loaf of deli rye bread and all the fixings (sauerkraut, Russian dressing, 1 quart each of full-sour and half-sour pickles, mustard), as well as mini black-and-white cookies for dessert. It’s a bountiful spread at a great value that comes pristinely packed—it’s classic Jewish care-taking delivered to their doorstep.

The ringing of a wind chime is a lovely way to be reminded of someone precious. Though you can find plenty of versions specifically designed as memorials out there, a lot of them are, well, cheesy. Not this elegant, one-of-a-kind strand: The nine simple, sculptural cups on the Ceramicpix Ceramic Wind Chime, available on Etsy, are inspired by traditional Japanese furin (wind bells). Handcrafted from bone-white clay and strung along a 20-inch faux-leather cord, they tinkle gently in the wind and are so pretty, you can even hang them inside. Note that they are tougher than they look and can withstand all but the strongest winds.

The delicate Hammered Handwriting Cuff Bracelet, by Etsy seller GracePersonalized, comes in sterling silver, yellow, or rose gold vermeil and can be engraved with a loved-one’s own handwriting. Send a photo or scan of a message of up to seven words (old letters and cards are a good place to find handwritten words of love) and indicate whether you want the writing on the inside or outside. Staff writer Samantha Schoech recently gave one to her daughter to commemorate an important milestone. She was impressed by the quality and surprised by how meaningful it felt to both of them to have a message in her own handwriting worn against her daughter’s wrist.

In many cultures, illness, tragedy, and loss automatically mean a stream of homemade dishes delivered to your door. Even if you can’t show up with a casserole or your grandmother’s cookies, you can still send something that makes preparing and eating dinner easy and delicious. Scads of Wirecutter staffers can be counted among the fans of MìLà Soup Dumplings.

The Seattle-based company ships bags of 50 juicy, pillowy, and flavorful frozen soup dumplings that are nothing like grocery-store options; there’s a helpful option to include a bamboo steamer, too. Supervising editor Hannah Morrill sent one to a friend after a loss and recently learned that her pal loved them so much, they reordered.

Though “real” food is wonderful, there’s something about a cookie that can feel especially consoling. One of our favorite gift baskets is the Levain Bakery Signature Cookie Assortment. Each four-pack of gargantuan cookies includes Chocolate Chip Walnut, Dark Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip, and all are in a class by themselves, crispy on the outside and slightly chewy within, with a savory complexity. They’re baked in New York and shipped overnight—order in advance to avoid hefty shipping fees.

We love finding gifts that are unusual, thoughtful, and well vetted. See even more gift ideas we recommend.

This article was edited by Hannah Morrill and Jennifer Hunter.